Self inflating ball



Jan. 28, 1964 YIIIII,

B. TOPPER SELF' INFLATING BALL Filed DeC. 19, 1960 Wav/DEQ,

INVENTOR.

BY /l/s Arran/sys.

United States Patent Oli-ice v3,119,617 Patented Jan. 2,8, 1964 3,119,617 SELF lNFLATlNG BALL Bernard Topper, Los Angeles, Calif., assigner to C. Bernard Kaufman, Los Angeles, Calif. Filed Dec. 19, 1960, Ser. No. 76,872 2 Claims. (Cl. 273-58) This invention relates to toys and more particularly to a self-inflatable ball toy.

lt is an object of the present invention to provide a self-inllatable ball toy.

It is also lan object of the present invention to provide a self-inflatable ball toy the bouncing of which retains the ball in an inilated condition.

It is lanother object of the present invention to provide a toy ball the bouncing of which infie-tes the ball and maintains it in an inated condition.

.T he objects of the present invention are accomplished by an inllatable envelope of llexible material' defining a hollow sphere when taut, the envelope containing a pump which is actuated .by bouncing of the ball to pump air from the ambient into the interior of the envelope.

The novel yfeatures which are believed to be characteristie of the invention, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof will be better understood from the following description considered in connection with the accompanving ydrawing in which presently preferred embodiments` of the invention are -illustrated by way of ex* ample. lt is to .be expressly understood, however, that the drawing is for the purpose of illustration and description only, -and is not intended as a `definition of the limits of the (invention.

ln the drawing:

FIGURE 1 shows an elevational view, in partial crosssection, of the ball of the present invention in the fully inllated condition;

FIGURE 2 shows the ball of FIGURE l in a deflated condition; and,

FIGURE 3 'shows an elevational view, in partial crosssection, of another embodiment of the ball in the present invention in a fully inilated condition.

Turning now to FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawing there is shown one presently preferred embodiment of the invention in which the ball consists of -an envelope 11 of ilexible plastic sheet material formed to 'assume a spherical shape when inflated so that the material is taut. A circular .aperture 12 is `provided in the envelope 1-1 to allow air to be introduced into the interior of the envelope. Sealed to the [inner surface of `the envelope 11 and surrounding .the 'aperture 1.2 is. a plastic disc 13 having a raised central portion 14 delining a valve-seat 15 aligned opposite to the aperture 12.

Mounted to the disc 13 is `a pressure-sensitive dapper valve, lindicated generally by the reference numeral 19. The valve 19 consists of a leaf spring 21 fastened at one end to the disc 13. Mounted to Ithe free end of the leaf spring 21 is a valve head 22 in alignment for matable sealing Contact Iwith the valve-seat 15. The tension of the least spring 21 is such that the yvalve-head 22 is normally in contact with the valve-seat 15 and Such that the valve 19 is responsive to a predetermined minimum pressure differential.

lLongitudinally mounted to 'the .disc 13 is a cylindrical tubular housing 25, one end of the housing being sealed over most or its `contacting portion to the d-isc 13 by a rubber grommet 26. The seal between the rubber grommet 26 and the plastic disc 13 is a pressure sensitive one and air can be :forced from Within the housing 21S through the seal into the remainder ofthe interior o-f the envelope 11 surrounding the housing. However, due to the crosssection of lthe `cylindrical gromniet no significant amount of air can be rforced through the seal in the opposite direction, ie., into the housing 25 from the remainder of the interior of the envelope 11 surrounding the housing. The housing 25 is preferably constructed of plastic tubing. Sealed to lthe other end of the housing 25 is a plastic cap 27 having -a central circular hole 28 therein. Slidably mounted within the housing 25 is a piston head, indicated generally by the reference numeral 31. The piston head consists of a rubber disc 32 sandwiched between smaller metallic `discs 33 and 34 respectively, the rubber disc 32 ,being in slidably sealing contact with the interior longitudinal wall surface of the housing l25. Extending through the center of the piston 31 is an eyebolt 3S, the piston being rigidly fastened to the eyebolt. The eyebolt 3S longitudinally extends through the hole 28 in the cap 27 and terminates near the inner surface of the envelope 11 at a point diametrically opposite the aperture 12 when the envelope is inflated to a spherical conliguration. At this diametrica'lly opposite point a lead weight 35 is positioned, the end of the eyebol-t 35 being rigidly secured to the weight. The weight 36 is retained in this position by a plastic cap 37 sealed to the inner surface of the envelope 11. The weight 36 is` sufficient to establish the center of gravity of the toy. Thus 'the eyebolt 35 is rigidly mounted to the interior surface of the envelope 11 at -a point diametrically opposite the aperture 12 and the valve-seat 115. The length ofthe eyebolt 35 is such that when the envelope is fully initiated to a spherical configuration the piston 31 will be proximate the cap 27, as shown in FlGURE l. The length of the cylindrical housing 25 is such that when the envelope l1d is collapsed the piston 31 will be proximate the valve 19, as shown in `FIGURE 2.

A str-ing 41 is fastened between the valve 19 and the eye of the eyebolt 35, the length of the string being such that |when the envelope is fully inilated the tension of the `string will hold the valve 19 in open position (see FIG- URE 1).

ln operation, 'with the envelope in the completely collapsed position of FGURE 2 the envelope is held near the weight 36 and near the disc 13 and the weight and the disc alternately moved away from and toward each other in a reciprocal purnping motion. Upon movement of the housing 25 away from the weight 36 a vaccum will be created within the expanding air chamber defined within the housing 25 between the piston 31 and the disc 13, the pressure differential causing movement of the valve 19 away yfrom the valve-seat 15 to admit air from the ambient into the air chamber. Upon movement of the housing `25 back toward the weight 36 the `air chamber will be compressed to raise the pressure therein and so urge the valve 19 back into the sealing engagement with the valve-seat 1S to seal the chamber from the ambient. The increase in pressure within the housing Iwill cause lair contained therein to be forced between the grommet 26 and the disc 13 and into the remainder of the interior of lthe envelope 11 surrounding 'the housing 2.5' to thereby cause inllation of the envelope 1-1.

After pumping a sufficient number of strokes to partially inflate the ball, the user can begin to bounce the ball, the weight 36 insuring that the ball will strike the ground with the housing 25 in vertical alignment and with the aperture 12 in the envelope 11 uppermost. Hence, upon each bounce of the ball, compression of the surface of the envelope 11 will ellectively provide the reciprocal pumping action as described hereinabove to continue ination of the ball. When the ball nears a fully inated condition the string 41 will become taut and will hold the valve 19 open to prevent overinilation of the ball upon further bouncing, since upon normal bouncing the surface of the envelope will no longer compress enough to release the tension on the string 41. Should air leak from the ball the envelope will partially collapse and normal bouncing will then initiate the pumping action to reinate the ball. Hence, bouncing of the ball will maintain it in an infiated condition.

Turning now to FIGURE 3 of the drawing there is shown a second or alternative embodiment of the ball wherein the envelope 11 is identical with that of the hereinabove described embodiment and contains the aperture 12. However, this second embodiment differs from the first embodiment with respect to the pump mechanism contained therein, the second embodiment having a bellows type pump. Disposed over the aperture 12 is a flapper valve 51, consisting of a tab of sheet rubber material fastened at one end to the interior of the envelope 11 at a point adjacent to the aperture 12 so that the free end of the tab normally covers the aperture 12. Mounted to the interior surface of the envelope 11 and surrounding the aperture 12 and the ilapper valve 51 is a plastic ring 52. Mounted to the interior surface of the envelope 11 at a point diametrically opposite the aperture 12 when the envelope is inflated is a retaining ring 53, similar to the ring 52. Longitudinally mounted between the rings 52 and 53 is a bellows 54. One end of the bellows 54 is retained within the ring 53 by a lead disc 56 positioned in the interior of the bellows to pinch the bellows material between the disc 56 and the ring 53. The weight of the disc 56 serves to establish the center of gravity of the toy. The other end of the bellows is retained within the ring 52 by a cup-shaped disc 57, the material of the bellows being pinched between the disc 57 and the ring 52. The disc 57 has apertures 58 and 59 extending therethrough. Extending from the center of the disc 57 is a cylindrical rod 61 which passes longitudinally partially through the bellows. Extending from the center of the lead disc 56 is a cylindrical tube 62, the inside diameter of which closely approximates the outside diameter of the rod 61 to thereby form a guiding passage for longitudinal travel of the rod 61 therein upon expansion and contraction of the bellows 54. The disc 57, the rod 61 and the tube 62 are preferably constructed of plastic.

A pressure-sensitive valve is provided in the peripheral surface of the bellows 54. The valve 65 may conveniently be in the form of a slit in the rubber material of the bellows 54, the slit being closed to prevent the passage of air therethrough when the bellows is in the extended psition of FIGURE 3. Upon compression of the bellows the material is distorted and the slit opened to allow the passage of air therethrough.

When the ball is in a defiated condition the bellows 54 will be compressed to a limit determined by the length of the tube 62, the tube 62 contacting the disc 57 to arrest further compression of the bellows 54. The length of the rod 61 is such that it will not protrude from the tube 62 at this fully compressed position. When in the deflated condition and when the bellows 54 is physically expanded the air chamber defined within the bellows between the lead disc 56 and the valve 51 will expand, the valve 51 opening to allow air from the ambient to enter through the aperture 12 and pass into the bellows through the holes 58 and S9 in the disc 57. Upon subsequent movement to compress the bellows the pressure within the bellows will build up and thereby cause valve 51 to close and seal the interior of the bellows from the ambient. Compression of the bellows 54 will also cause opening of the valve 65 to allow air contained therein to be pumped into the remaining interior portion of the envelope 11 surrounding the bellows 54. Hence it is seen that repeated expansion and contraction of the bellows 54 in a reciprocal pumping motion will cause the envelope 11 to become inflated. Again, as in the previously illustrated embodiment, bouncing of the ball will result in the desired reciprocal pumping action as the lead disc 56 insures that the ball will strike the ground with the bellows 54 in a vertical position with the aperture 12 uppermost. Since the rod 61 and the tube 62 are rigidly attached to discs 57 and 56 respectively, and secured to diametrically opposite positions on the interior surface of the envelope 11 the axial movement of the rod 61 and the tube 62 will maintain the longitudinal alignment of the bellows 54. Again, bouncing of the ball will maintain the ball in an inated condition and should air contained within the ball leak out further bouncing of the ball will cause its reination.

Thus there has been described a novel self-inflatable ball toy wherein bouncing of the ball will cause its intlation and maintain it in an inflated condition. Although the invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. A self-inflatable toy comprising: an envelope of flexible air-tight sheet material defining a hollow sphere when taut, said material defining a small aperture of predetermined size therethrough; first pressure-sensitive valve means responsive to a first predetermined minimum pressure differential, said first valve means being rotatably mounted to the interior surface of said envelope for movement between a closed position in air-tight sealing engagement with said aperture and an open position away from said aperture; a cylindrical housing defining an air chamber mounted at one end to the interior surface of said envelope and axially surrounding said aperture and said first valve means, said housing including second valve means extending through the peripheral wall surface thereof, said second valve means being movably responsive to a second predetermined minimum pressure differential to selectively place the interior of said air chamber in communication with the remainder of the interior of said envelope; and a piston slidably contained within said housing, said piston being rigidly connected by a piston rod to the interior surface of said envelope at a predetermined point diametrically opposite said aperture when said material is taut, the length of said piston rod limiting the travel of said piston longitudinally within said housing between a first point farther away from said aperture and a second point closer to said aperture, said piston being in said first position when said envelope is iniiated and being in said second position when said envelope is collapsed, that portion of the interior surface of said envelope surrounding said predetermined point being suiciently weighted to locate the center of gravity of said toy at said predetermined point, movement of said piston from said first position toward said aperture compressing said air chamber to cause an increase in the air pressure therein and movement of said piston from said second position away from said aperture expanding said air chamber to cause a decrease in the air pressure therein, said first valve means being urged into sealing engagement with said aperture when the air pressure within said air chamber exceeds the ambient pressure by an amount greater than said first predetermined minimum pressure difierential, said second valve means movably responding when the air pressure within said air chamber exceds the air pressure within the remainder of the interior of said envelope by an amount greater than said second predetermined minimum pressure differential, and linkage means connecting said first valve means with said piston, said linkage means being adapted to maintain said first valve means in said open position when said piston is in said tirst position.

2. A self-inflating toy comprising: an envelope of fiexible air-tight sheet material defining a hollow sphere when taut, said material defining a small aperture of predetermined size therethrough; a spring loaded ffapper valve responsive to a first predetermined minimum pressure differential, said apper valve being rotatably mounted to the interior surface of said envelope for movement between a normally closed position in air-tight sealing engagement with said aperture and an open position away from said aperture; a cylindrical housing defining an air chamber mounted at one end to the interior surface of said envelope and axially surrounding said aperture and said apper valve, said housing including valve means extending through the peripheral wall surface thereof, said valve means being movably responsive to a second predetermined minimum pressure diiierential to selectively place the interior of said air chamber in communication with the remainder of the interior of said envelope; a predetermined weight mounted to the interior surface of said envelope to establish the center of gravity or' said toy at a point substantially diametrically opposite said aperture; a piston slidably contained within said housing, said piston being rigidly connected by a piston rod to said weight, the length of said piston rod limiting the travel of said piston longitudinally within said housing between a first point farther away from said aperture and a second point closer to said aperture, said piston being in said first position when said envelope is fully inflated and being in said second position when said envelope is collapsed, movement of said piston from said first position toward said aperture compressing said air chamber to cause an increase in the air pressure therein and movement of said piston from 6 said second position away from said aperture expanding said air chamber to cause a decrease in the air pressure therein, the spring loading pressure of said apper valve being substantially equal to said first predetermined minimum pressure differential, said valve means movably responding when the air pressure within said air chamber exceeds the air pressure within the remainder of the interior of said envelope by an amount greater than said second predetermined minimum differential; and linkage means coupling said flapper valve to said piston, said linkage means being adapted to maintain said apper valve in said open position When said piston is in said first position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 442,948 Bowley Dec. 16, 1890 490,828 Lavigne Jan. 31, 1893 643,017 Tucker Feb. 6, 1900 2,698,028 Lee et al. Dec. 28, 1954 2,789,393 Cooke Apr. 23, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 461,689 Great Britain May 15, 1935 

1. A SELF-INFLATABLE TOY COMPRISING: AN ENVELOPE OF FLEXIBLE AIR-TIGHT SHEET MATERIAL DEFINING A HOLLOW SPHERE WHEN TAUT, SAID MATERIAL DEFINING A SMALL APERTURE OF PREDETERMINED SIZE THERETHROUGH; FIRST PRESSURE-SENSITIVE VALVE MEANS RESPONSIVE TO A FIRST PREDETERMINED MINIMUM PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL, SAID FIRST VALVE MEANS BEING ROTATABLY MOUNTED TO THE INTERIOR SURFACE OF SAID ENVELOPE FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN A CLOSED POSITION IN AIR-TIGHT SEALING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID APERTURE AND AN OPEN POSITION AWAY FROM SAID APERTURE; A CYLINDRICAL HOUSING DEFINING AN AIR CHAMBER MOUNTED AT ONE END TO THE INTERIOR SURFACE OF SAID ENVELOPE AND AXIALLY SURROUNDING SAID APERTURE AND SAID FIRST VALVE MEANS, SAID HOUSING INCLUDING SECOND VALVE MEANS, EXTENDING THROUGH THE PERIPHERAL WALL SURFACE THEREOF, SAID SECOND VALVE MEANS BEING MOVABLY RESPONSIVE TO A SECOND PREDETERMINED MINIMUM PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL TO SELECTIVELY PLACE THE INTERIOR OF SAID AIR CHAMBER IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE REMAINDER OF THE INTERIOR OF SAID ENVELOPE; AND A PISTON SLIDABLY CONTAINED WITHIN SAID HOUSING, SAID PISTON BEING RIGIDLY CONNECTED BY A PISTON ROD TO THE INTERIOR SURFACE OF SAID ENVELOPE AT A PREDETERMINED POINT DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSITE SAID APERTURE WHEN SAID MATERIAL IS TAUT, THE LENGTH OF SAID PISTON ROD LIMITING THE TRAVEL OF SAID PISTON LONGITUDINALLY WITHIN SAID HOUSING BETWEEN A FIRST POINT FARTHER AWAY FROM SAID APERTURE AND A SECOND POINT CLOSER TO SAID APERTURE, SAID PISTON BEING IN SAID FIRST POSITION WHEN SAID ENVELOPE IS INFLATED AND BEING IN SAID SECOND POSITION WHEN SAID ENVELOPE IS COLLAPSED, THAT PORTION OF THE INTERIOR SURFACE OF SAID ENVELOPE SURROUNDING SAID PREDETERMINED POINT BEING SUFFICIENTLY WEIGHTED TO LOCATE THE CENTER OF GRAVITY OF SAID TOY AT SAID PREDETERMINED POINT, MOVEMENT OF SAID PISTON FROM SAID FIRST POSITION TOWARD SAID APERTURE COMPRESSING SAID AIR CHAMBER TO CAUSE AN INCREASE IN THE AIR PRESSURE THEREIN AND MOVEMENT OF SAID PISTON FROM SAID SECOND POSITION AWAY FROM SAID APERTURE EXPANDING SAID AIR CHAMBER TO CAUSE A DECREASE IN THE AIR PRESSURE THEREIN, SAID FIRST VALVE MEANS BEING URGED INTO SEALING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID APERTURE WHEN THE AIR PRESSURE WITHIN SAID AIR CHAMBER EXCEEDS THE AMBIENT PRESSURE BY AN AMOUNT GREATER THAN SAID FIRST PREDETERMINED MINIMUM PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL, SAID SECOND VALVE MEANS MOVABLY RESPONDING WHEN THE AIR PRESSURE WITHIN SAID AIR CHAMBER EXCEDS THE AIR PRESSURE WITHIN THE REMAINDER OF THE INTERIOR OF SAID ENVELOPE BY AN AMOUNT GREATER THAN SAID SECOND PREDETERMINED MINIMUM PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL, AND LINKAGE MEANS CONNECTING SAID FIRST VALVE MEANS WITH SAID PISTON, SAID LINKAGE MEANS BEING ADAPTED TO MAINTAIN SAID FIRST VALVE MEANS IN SAID OPEN POSITION WHEN SAID PISTON IS IN SAID FIRST POSITION. 